The Wind Returns; My Little Courtyard is Green and Overgrown (The Beautiful Lady Yu)
- Poetry of Li Yu

《虞美人·风回小院庭芜绿》

English Rendering

The wind returns; my little courtyard is green and overgrown,

The willows seem to have grown again this spring.

I lean for a long time on the railings; alone, without a word,

The sound of bamboo and the new moon are just like in days gone by.

The playing and singing have not yet ceased; the wine cups remain,

The ice on top of the pool begins to melt.

Bright candles and a faint fragrance are deep in the painted hall,

It's hard to think I must allow my temples all to turn white.

The Wind Returns; My Little Courtyard is Green and Overgrown (The Beautiful Lady Yu) by Li Yu
The Wind Returns; My Little Courtyard is Green and Overgrown (The Beautiful Lady Yu) by Li Yu

Original Text (中文原文)

风回小院庭芜绿,柳眼春相续。

凭阑半日独无言,依旧竹声新月似当年。

笙歌未散尊罍在,池面冰初解。

烛明香暗画堂深,满鬓青霜残雪思难任。

Analysis & Context

By Li Yu

Reader's Companion

The Essence of the Verse

Classical Chinese poetry thrives on Concision and Ambiguity. Without tense or number, the words create a timeless space where the reader becomes the co-creator of the poem's meaning.

Reading Between the Lines

Look for Contrasts: light and shadow, movement and stillness. Don't just translate the words; feel the Yijing (artistic conception) that lingers long after the last character.

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